يا أَنفَ عيسى جَزاكَ اللَّهُ صالِحَةً

يا أَنفَ عيسى جَزاكَ اللَّهُ صالِحَةً

وَزادَكَ اللَّهُ إِشراقاً وَمُتَّسَعا

وَزادَكَ اللَّهُ إِشراقاً وَمُتَّسَعا

O nose of Isa, may God reward you well,

O Isa's nose, may God reward you with righteousness

And may God increase your radiance and breadth.

And may God increase you with illumination and expanse

نَعَم وَلا زِلتَ تَجري فيكَ أَودِيَةٌ

نَعَم وَلا زِلتَ تَجري فيكَ أَودِيَةٌ

مِنَ المُخاطِ رواء يطرِدنَ مَعا

مِنَ المُخاطِ رواء يطرِدنَ مَعا

Yes, and may streams forever flow within you,

Yes, and valleys still flow in you

Brimming with mucus, coursing along together.

Of mucus, a pasture that drives away together

حِصنٌ حَصينٌ وَعِزٌّ لَو تَناوَلَهُ

حِصنٌ حَصينٌ وَعِزٌّ لَو تَناوَلَهُ

كِسرى المُلوكِ أَنو شروانَ لامتَنَعا

كِسرى المُلوكِ أَنو شروانَ لامتَنَعا

An impregnable fortress and a source of might—if seized by

A fortress, a mighty fortress, and honor that if

Kisra of kings, Anushirwan, he would be unassailable.

Kisra of kings Anushirvan had seized it, he would have refused

تَرَكتُ عيسى فَما عِندي مُخاطبَةٌ

تَرَكتُ عيسى فَما عِندي مُخاطبَةٌ

لَهُ وَخاطبتُ أَنفاً طالَ وَاِرتَفَعا

لَهُ وَخاطبتُ أَنفاً طالَ وَاِرتَفَعا

I left Isa, with nothing to say

I left Isa, so I have no conversation with him

To him, and addressed a nose grown long and lofty.

And I conversed with a nose that became tall and high

عيسى غُلامٌ وَلكِن أَنفُهُ رَجُلٌ

عيسى غُلامٌ وَلكِن أَنفُهُ رَجُلٌ

وَالقَرنُ يَحسُن مِنهُ كُلّ ما صَنَعا

وَالقَرنُ يَحسُن مِنهُ كُلّ ما صَنَعا

Isa is a boy, but his nose is a man,

Isa is a boy, but his nose is a man

And all the horn does is becoming.

And it is fitting for the epoch to make everything it did

رَأَيتُ أَنفاً وَلَم أَعلَم بِصاحِبِهِ

رَأَيتُ أَنفاً وَلَم أَعلَم بِصاحِبِهِ

فَقُلتُ مَن صاحِبُ الأَنفِ الَّذي طَلَعا

فَقُلتُ مَن صاحِبُ الأَنفِ الَّذي طَلَعا

I saw a nose, but knew nothing of its owner,

I saw a nose and did not know its owner

So I said, 'Who owns the nose that has risen?'

So I said who is the owner of the nose that appeared

قالوا فَتىً غابَ فيهِ قُلتُ وَاعَجَبي

قالوا فَتىً غابَ فيهِ قُلتُ وَاعَجَبي

ما إِن رَأى مِثلَ ذا راء وَلا سَمِعا

ما إِن رَأى مِثلَ ذا راء وَلا سَمِعا

They said, 'A youth vanished inside it.' I said, 'How astonishing!

They said a young man who was absent in it. I said and I wonder

No beholder has seen the like of this, nor heard of it!'

That he did not see the like of this sight and did not hear

يا وَيلَكُم أَخرِجوهُ قالَ ناطِقُهُم

يا وَيلَكُم أَخرِجوهُ قالَ ناطِقُهُم

هَيهاتَ ما إِن نَرى في نَيلِهِ طَمَعا

هَيهاتَ ما إِن نَرى في نَيلِهِ طَمَعا

'Woe to you! Bring him out!' Their spokesman said,

Oh woe to you, bring him out! Their speaker said

'Impossible! We see no hope of reaching him.

Far-fetched! We do not see hope in attaining him

الجبُّ أَبعَدُ غوراً حينَ تَطلُبُهُ

الجبُّ أَبعَدُ غوراً حينَ تَطلُبُهُ

مِن أَن تَنالَ حِبالَ القَومِ مَن ضَرعا

مِن أَن تَنالَ حِبالَ القَومِ مَن ضَرعا

The well is too deep, when you seek him,

The valley is farther in depth when you seek it

For the people's ropes to reach the man grown weak.'

Than you attain the ropes of the people if you milked

فَلَو تَراني عَلى أَنفٍ أَنوحُ بِهِ

فَلَو تَراني عَلى أَنفٍ أَنوحُ بِهِ

عَلى فَتىً زَلَّ في خَيشومِهِ قِطَعا

عَلى فَتىً زَلَّ في خَيشومِهِ قِطَعا

If only you could see me atop a nose, lamenting there

If only you could see me grieving over a nose for

Over a youth who slipped into his nasal cavity in pieces.

A young man who stumbled in his nostrils, cut off

بَينا كَذلِكَ إِذ جالَت غَوارِبُهُ

بَينا كَذلِكَ إِذ جالَت غَوارِبُهُ

بِمَخطِهِ فَإِذا عَيسونُ قَد رَجَعا

بِمَخطِهِ فَإِذا عَيسونُ قَد رَجَعا

While I was thus, suddenly its crests heaved

While so, his eyelids paraded

As it blew out mucus—and there was Aysun, returned!

With his mucus, there was Isaac who had returned

فَقُلتُ خَيرٌ فَقَد عايَنتَ ما رَجِعَت

فَقُلتُ خَيرٌ فَقَد عايَنتَ ما رَجِعَت

عَنهُ العُيونُ وَقَد أَبعَدتَ مُنتَجَعا

عَنهُ العُيونُ وَقَد أَبعَدتَ مُنتَجَعا

I said, 'Good! You have beheld what eyes turned back

So I said, good - for you have seen what

From, and sought pasture far afield.'

Eyes turned away from and you have distanced a refuge

فَقال ما زِلتُ في لَيل وَفي لَثَقِ

فَقال ما زِلتُ في لَيل وَفي لَثَقِ

وَفي أُمورٍ أَذاقَتني الرَّدى جُرَعا

وَفي أُمورٍ أَذاقَتني الرَّدى جُرَعا

He said, 'I remained in night and in mire,

So he said, I did not cease being in night and in fetters

And in ordeals that made me taste death in draughts.'

And in matters that made me taste the deadly draught

فَقُلتُ يا أَهلَ عيسى إِنَّني رَجُلٌ

فَقُلتُ يا أَهلَ عيسى إِنَّني رَجُلٌ

أَبدى النَّصيحَةَ إِنّي مُشبَعٌ وَرَعا

أَبدى النَّصيحَةَ إِنّي مُشبَعٌ وَرَعا

I said, 'O Isa's family, I am a man

So I said, O Isaac's family, I am a man

Who has offered counsel; I am filled with piety.

Who gives advice. Indeed I am satisfied, pious

لا يَبرَحَنَّ لَكُم حَبلٌ يُشَدُّ بِهِ

لا يَبرَحَنَّ لَكُم حَبلٌ يُشَدُّ بِهِ

وَسط الغُلامِ قَريباً كانَ أَو شَسَعا

وَسط الغُلامِ قَريباً كانَ أَو شَسَعا

Never be without a rope, with which to bind

Let there not remain for you a rope that pulls

The boy's waist, whether he is near or far,

The youth's waist, whether near or far

لِتَجذِبوهُ بِهِ مِن جَوفِ مَنخِرِهِ

لِتَجذِبوهُ بِهِ مِن جَوفِ مَنخِرِهِ

فَتُخرِجوهُ بِهِ يَوماً إِذا وَقَعا

فَتُخرِجوهُ بِهِ يَوماً إِذا وَقَعا

To pull him with it from inside his nostril

That you pull him with it from the inside of his nostrils

And bring him out with it one day, should he fall in.'

And bring him out with it one day when he falls